A new scientific study has revealed that World War II ammunition dumps on the seabed—long regarded solely as hazardous legacy sites—also support surprisingly rich marine biodiversity.
The findings suggest that, in addition to posing management and safety concerns, these munitions fields may now function as unintentional artificial reefs hosting complex ecological communities.
After more than a century of mystery, technical divers from the community-led initiative, ProjectXplore, have conclusively identified the wreck of HMS Bayano, a First World War armed merchant cruiser sunk by the German submarine U-27 on 11 March 1915. The 126-metre vessel now rests at a depth of 106 metres in the North Channel, between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
After over a century of searching, the wreck of HMS Nottingham, a British First World War light cruiser, has been located and positively identified in the North Sea. The discovery was made by an international team of technical divers from ProjectXplore, bringing closure to a long-standing naval mystery and commemorating a vessel lost during a pivotal moment in naval history.
From 1 November 2025, Scotland’s underwater heritage gains new protections: the shipwrecks of Scapa Flow and the 1745 wreck of the Swedish East Indiaman Queen of Sweden are now designated Historic Marine Protected Areas. The move ensures these powerful symbols of maritime history remain preserved—and accessible—while defended against disturbance.
The seas around Denmark have seen thousands of shipwrecks from ancient times until today. We take a look at a selection of wrecks from WWII minesweepers to WWI Battle of Jutland armoured cruisers to Age of Sail vessels with cannons.
On 17 December 1917, USS F-1 collided with its sister ship, USS F-3, off the coast of San Diego during a training exercise in dense fog. The impact caused the F-1 to sink within ten seconds, resulting in the loss of 19 crew members. A mere five sailors survived the incident. The submarine now rests approximately 1,300ft (~396m) beneath the Pacific Ocean.
Stefan Panis recounts his adventure revisiting the wreck of SS Toward, a victim of the WWI minefield at Foreland near Dover in the United Kingdom.
A team of researchers has successfully identified the wreck of HMS Stephen Furness, a WWI armed steamer, off the coast of the Isle of Man. Sunk by a German U-boat in 1917, the vessel has remained an enduring mystery, with the wreck recently pinpointed as part of Bangor University's “Towards a National Collection” project.
The SS Tobol was originally built as the SS Cheltenham in Sunderland in the early 20th century. The vessel featured a distinctive turret deck design and was operated by a British steamer company. In 1904, Russian warships seized the ship, and it was later transferred to the Russian Imperial Navy, where it was renamed SS Tobol after the Tobol River in Russia.
HMS Hawke was discovered earlier this week after an extensive search by Lost in Waters Deep—a group that searches for WWI shipwrecks—about 70 miles off the Aberdeenshire coast. It was found to be in "remarkable" condition, lying at a depth of around 110 metres (360ft).
